AMA: Former Walt Disney World Character Performer

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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I know you weren’t working at Disney in May when Hollywood Studios always does the Star Wars weekends, but do you think or know if they hire more people to fulfill all the roles? Do they take character performers away from other popular meet and greets or parades to fulfill the needs of all the storm troopers, Imperial guards, etc? Does Disney keep a few little people around to play a lot of the small roles like Ewoks, R2D2, and other tiny roles? Would those people have any other roles to play for the rest of year that aren’t Star Wars?
Here’s my understanding of how the scheduling/staffing process works: There is a pool of character performers, each of whom has a height and a set of skills. There is a pool of performance shifts, each of which has a height range and a set of skill requirements. The scheduling wizards fill up the available shifts by finding performers with the appropriate attributes who are available at the required times. If there aren’t enough performers with the required skills, or a new parade/show is being put together, existing performers are trained as needed. If there aren’t enough performers in a particular height range, new performers are hired. Logistically, it may be a complicated operation (I have no idea how they do it), but conceptually, it’s very simple. There are some roles which are staffed only by Equity performers, and those may be handled separately, but I suspect the Star Wars weekends are staffed in precisely the same way as any other show.

You had mentioned previously that there is always a back up performer ready in all the different height ranges. Do face characters have back ups waiting too? I always wondered what would happen if Prince Charming woke up with a big zit, would cost him a day or week of work? I guess he could play fur until it cleared up?
Face characters wear makeup.

I’ve heard a lot about character performers having bad attitudes about being under paid, over worked, etc. (just like everyone else) Did you encounter a lot of negativity from full-time performers?
I didn’t encounter a whole lot of negativity, but certainly a fair amount of matter-of-factness about the issue. WDW does not pay well, simple as that. Throughout the entire hiring process, I was never led to believe otherwise. And yes, full-time performers can find themselves quite overworked in order to pay the bills. Long hours + physically demanding performances + very very hot + low pay = overworked.

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We were at Disney World about a week ago, and while waiting to “board” at Star Tours, I look behind me and Capt Jack Sparrow was standing there. In line at Star Tours…??? So, I naturally whip out my camera and ask to take a picture with him. He politely declines - “the mouse” won’t let him. We board the ride (including Capt Jack), exit, etc, and all the while he is talking, gesturing, and in all ways acting like the character.

About 45 minutes later, I pass some cast members who are walking quickly and having a walkie-talkie conversation with someone about “Jack Sparrow (something-something) Pixar Place.”

So, here’s where logic breaks down for me: why let the guy in the park at all?? This guy was impressive. He had the scruff, the eyeliner, hair, the doo-dads - EVERYTHING was perfect. The only obvious difference was the outfit - it was more of a “casual work day” Jack Sparrow ensemble. He did the gestures, the voice, and mannerisms perfectly. I just don’t understand why they didn’t turn him away at the gate - why let him in the park impersonating a licensed Disney character, then panic about it an hour (or more) later? Did you ever encounter anyone at the park “auditioning” for a role?

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Still diggin’ this thread…

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Hey Cryptic, just have a few questions if you’re willing to answer. Sorry if they’ve been answered earlier.

What is the Disney College Program and how does one apply and get accepted?

How is a job selected for you? If you don’t want to audition are you selected to work in say…merchandise or are do you choose? If you audition and don’t make it are you then given an alternative job to do?

What fur jobs are available for girls who are 5’3"

If you do have a car where does one park?

Thanks for doing this, by the way. Always been interested.

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Why let [someone] in the park impersonating a licensed Disney character, then panic about it an hour (or more) later? Here are some thoughts on the scenario you’ve described, which is something I never witnessed, but which does not strike me as being totally implausible. First, this may not be something that is covered in the training process for the ticketing folks, and even if it is, the trainee may not have been paying attention, or they may have forgot. It’s easy to fall into the habit of thinking about large organizations as some sort of many-armed hivemind blob, but the reality is that WDW is comprised of many individuals, each of whom make their own choices when confronted with an unfamiliar situation.

Second, the Jack impersonator may not have been in full Jack regalia when he got to the park, thereby making it easier to get in without causing a fuss. He could have changed in a bathroom. Alternatively, he could have been a cast member who had no more fucks to give. It was not particularly difficult for me to enter the park as a guest without having to pass through the front gate, though this may have changed in the past few years.

What is the Disney College Program and how does one apply and get accepted?
Wikipedia and Disney on the matter. In a nutshell, it’s an internship program at Walt Disney World and Disneyland for college students. I applied at an information session at my school, which was followed shortly thereafter by a phone interview, and perhaps I had to fill out some stuff online. I know that it is also possible to apply directly online without attending an information session.

How is a job selected for you? If you don’t want to audition are you selected to work in say…merchandise or are do you choose? If you audition and don’t make it are you then given an alternative job to do?
I believe that when I applied, I was asked to select the three roles in which I was most interested. For non-entertainment roles, casting simply reviews your application materials, conducts a phone interview, and then sorts you into the appropriate bucket. The same is true for entertainment roles, with the added requirement of attending an audition. I assume that if one does not pass the character audition, one’s application is simply placed back in the sorting machine with everyone else.

What fur jobs are available for girls who are 5’3"?
Step 1: While viewing this page, hit Control F (or Command F for Apple).
Step 2: Type “#217” without quotes.
Step 3: Press enter.
Step 4: Read.
Step 5: Eat ravioli (optional).

Alternatively, you can follow the abridged instructions: scroll up.

If you do have a car where does one park?
At the apartment complexes, there are plenty of parking spaces, most of which are literally seconds away from the housing units themselves. At the parks, there are free cast member parking areas, most of which are within walking distance of the cast member entrances. Magic Kingdom is a little different in that there is a shuttle bus from the cast entrance to the cast parking lot / bus area.

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Does Disney have strict enforcement of no photos/videos backstage?

I’m surprised there aren’t more pictures or videos of characters without their heads on, or heads lying around with no bodies. I’m curious to how they enforce it, and also wonder if cast members just respect the magic enough to not take pics like that.

Do you get paid more if you work holidays?

A while back you mentioned a non-verbal communication characters do to signal to character attendants. Do you remember any other non-verbal communicating signals you were trained to do?

Can you tell us what Disney does to reward cast members who are caught doing good things? I’ve heard that they have “secret shoppers” (management) who try to catch employees in the act and will reward them with things like “walking the track of Peter Pan’s Flight” before the attraction opens. Did you experience this or know anyone who did?

Thanks!

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Does Disney have strict enforcement of no photos/videos backstage? I’m surprised there aren’t more pictures or videos of characters without their heads on, or heads lying around with no bodies. I’m curious to how they enforce it, and also wonder if cast members just respect the magic enough to not take pics like that.
I remember there being a few restrictions on backstage photography. Generic backgrounds (a plain white wall, for example) were okay, but trade secret stuff (such as costume storage areas) was prohibited. Partial costume shots were prohibited, as was the act of tagging the performer’s name on the image of the costume, unless the costume was something generic (like a baton twirler in a parade).

Not entirely sure how the mouse enforced this rule. I would imagine that for many (but not all) cast members, it is a matter of fearing unemployment rather than respecting magic.

Do you get paid more if you work holidays?
Nope. Maybe full-timers get paid extra on holidays, but I certainly didn’t.

A while back you mentioned a non-verbal communication characters do to signal to character attendants. Do you remember any other non-verbal communicating signals you were trained to do?
The only two that I remember were covering one eye to indicate distress, and the high five to indicate that there were five minutes left in a set. If a pen wasn’t working, I would look at an attendant and shake it, but that wasn’t really a secret signal. One signal that we were taught to use with guests was to put our hands together palm to palm, then open them up like the pages of a book. This was used whenever a guest had an autograph book but didn’t open it for us.

Can you tell us what Disney does to reward cast members who are caught doing good things? I’ve heard that they have “secret shoppers” (management) who try to catch employees in the act and will reward them with things like “walking the track of Peter Pan’s Flight” before the attraction opens. Did you experience this or know anyone who did?
I seem to recall there being an “Above and Beyond” award that management would award cast members, and perhaps after receiving # such awards a cast member would receive some special prize – maybe a tour as you’ve suggested, maybe free ravioli – but I’m not entirely sure. I remember being very surprised and confused when, several months into the program, an attendant mentioned that they had gotten several “Above and Beyond” awards recently, and I had not yet received even one. I think I may have gotten one or two eventually, as I remember what they looked like (simple white and purple sheets of paper, maybe 3" x 4").

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I think you may have missed a question. Is it unusual for someone to get a letter naming a specific character that they are going to play, like Brockdancer’s daughter did with Tigger?

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Is it unusual for someone to get a letter naming a specific character that they are going to play, like Brockdancer’s daughter did with Tigger?
I have a very clear memory of finding out that I had been accepted and finding out that I would be friends with Tigger at about the same time, and I could have sworn that both of those pieces of information were in the same email. However, I dug up the invite email, and it just says this:

“Dearest Cryptic, Manliest of Manmuffins, Rider of Unicorns, Prince of the Northern Storm:
Congratulations! You have been selected to participate as a Character Performer Cast Member on the Disney College Program in the Fall 2009 Season, during which a herd of lascivious horizontal playmates will flock to your loins. As a Character Performer Cast Member, your hourly pay rate will be $0.23, one ball of lint, and six drops of Amish ballsweat.”

I paraphrased it slightly to cut out the boring bits. Anywho, there were a few links in the email which are now inactive, but perhaps one of them mentioned my exact role.

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Cryptic,

Here’s the list of available roles through the CP:

Attractions

Bell Services/Dispatch

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Hostess (Females Only)

Character Attendant
Character Performer (Audition Required)
Concierge

Costuming

Custodial

Full Service Food and Beverage

Hopper

Hospitality

Housekeeping

Lifeguard

Main Entrance Operations

Merchandise

PhotoPass Photographer

Quick Service Food and Beverage

Recreation

Transportation

Vacation Planner

If you had not done character performer, which ones would you have done or would you recommend?

Which ones would you definitely stay away from?

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Do you know how the Mickey Mouse and other flesh-colored-face heads are made? What is the hard material for the face made of? Or, if you don’t know yourself, do you know another way to find out? I used to work in Disneyland attractions, but have always wondered this. Thanks!

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**If you had not done character performer, which [roles] would you have done or would you recommend? Which ones would you definitely stay away from? **
Attractions would probably be my #2 choice. There are a lot of different elements that go into making a ride run smoothly, and there are secret hand signals. I would love to work at Lights Motors Action, even if it’s just crowd control, simply because that’s one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t think I would ever get sick of watching it.

I think I could handle doing Merchandise or Quick Service F&B. I’ve worked in a concession stand at a theater before, and I imagine that the skills would transfer. Working concessions when it’s busy is a lot like playing a real-time strategy game: there are tasks you need to do immediately (get the customer what he wants / kill all the zerglings in your base), and there are tasks that you need to do eventually (brew another batch of coffee / research upgrades for your marines). If you forget about one type of task for too long, you’ll be screwed at some point. I find that exciting.

I would probably stay away from Character Attendant and Costuming. Character Attendants have to deal with some really bitchy guests – every parent thinks their kid is super duper goddamn special and is entitled to see Tigger RIGHT NOW, and I just don’t like dealing with people like that. Costuming is the opposite problem: there’s no interactions with guests whatsoever, which would bore the crap out of me after a while.

Do you know how the Mickey Mouse and other flesh-colored-face heads are made? What is the hard material for the face made of? Or, if you don’t know yourself, do you know another way to find out? I used to work in Disneyland attractions, but have always wondered this. Thanks!
The hard frame is made of kevlar, which then gets several layers of paint applied to it (by hand, or so I was told). The other materials vary from costume to costume, but I do remember that Tigger’s nose is made with black pantyhose stretched over a plastic frame.

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In the opening year of Disneyworld during spring break I had one of the Seven Dwarves cop a handful of rump while I was having my picture taken with him. I have a chuckle remembering my youthful surprise when I read about the abuse the characters take from visitors.

How many stories have you heard likevoguevixen’s and mine?

I do still have the picture but, alas, it proves nothing unless you can read my goofy grin and somewhat wide eyes.

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How many stories have you heard like voguevixen’s and mine?
In training, one of the rules that was drilled into my head was “keep your hands (paws, whatever) in sight at all times.” Why? Specifically to avoid having guests complain about assgrabbery and such. If both hands are very clearly visible, there’s no way a picture could possibly be used as evidence of butt touching.

So, while I haven’t heard many stories of this, I am well aware of the fact that it was common enough at one point for a rule to exist to prevent it from happening again.

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Kind of tangential but interesting: a bit of character costume history.

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Cryptic,
Do you have any idea what the “hopper” role on the CP list is?

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**Do you have any idea what the “hopper” role on the CP list is? **
Heh, when you posted the list of CP roles, I scanned through it and thought to myself “Jesus, I have no idea what some of these are,” and Hopper was one of them. I did some digging, and apparently it’s an Epcot role in which the cast member is trained in a variety of different tasks, including Merchandise, Quick Service F&B, and Attractions (not Entertainment, naturally). It seems the role is also referred to as “Rescue Ranger” – when a location is short on staff, who do they call? Rescue Rangers! … or Hoppers.

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You mean it’s NOT the person whose costume is bad guy from A Bug’s Life?

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Cryptic,

I’m guessing that most of the people you had to hug were children, but did it ever happen that teenagers or older men and women would go crazy when seeing you and want to hug you or sign autographs? In that case, was it ever awkward?

Reason I’m asking was because I was at EPCOT a few years back where I saw a man in his early twenties impulsively hugging and even kiss a Bolt. Neither Bolt nor anyone else at the place seemed a least bit surprised.

Sorry if this question has been asked before ^^

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I’m guessing that most of the people you had to hug were children, but did it ever happen that teenagers or older men and women would go crazy when seeing you and want to hug you or sign autographs? In that case, was it ever awkward? … I saw a man in his early twenties impulsively hugging and even kiss a Bolt. Neither Bolt nor anyone else at the place seemed a least bit surprised.

The situation you’ve described is as common as episodes of I Shouldn’t Be Alive in which the narrator uses the phrase “it’s a massive gamble”.* During my tenure as Tigger, I saw people of all ages, sizes, colors, and cultures absolutely freak out at the opportunity to hug me and my comrades. British moms showed me their Tigger tattoos. A muslim woman whispered “God bless you for what you do.” Asian teenagers, decked head to toe in Mickey/Minnie gear, gushed and beamed at the opportunity to have their picture taken with us. And these were not unusual occurences, either. Day after day, without fail, I interacted with hundreds of people that were diverse in every possible dimension. While there were many people who were subdued, or disinterested, or just doing it for their kids, there were a lot more who were just as crazy about Disney characters as the man in your anecdote.

Short answer: Yes, the Disney bug can bite anyone. No, it was never awkward.

*Seriously, I think it might be an inside joke among the scriptwriters. Every friggin’ episode!